1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to arm supports and more particularly pertains to a new convertible arm supporting apparatus for providing supplemental support for facilitating immobilization of an injured arm.
2 Description of the Prior Art
The use of arm supports is known in the prior art. Some of the known arm supports support the arm at two or more discrete locations along the user""s forearm. This type of support tends to be less bulky and heavy, which some patients tend to favor. However, this type of support may also cause uncomfortable pressure points on the arm of the user as a result to the weight of the arm resting on the support at only two locations. Another type of support provides substantially continuous support along the length of the user""s forearm, which tends to avoid any points of high pressure on the forearm. However, this type of support tends to be bulky and can be heavy, which places greater stress on the part of the body (such as, for example, the shoulder) supporting the arm support. While some persons may favor one of these types of supports, other persons may favor the other type of support. In order to satisfy both preferences, a rehabilitation facility must have both types of supports on hand if persons with both types of preferences are to be satisfied. This can lead to additional costs for the rehabilitation facility, and make the rehabilitative process more costly to the patient and the insurance company.
The convertible arm supporting apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing supplemental support for facilitating immobilization of an injured arm.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of arm supports now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new convertible arm supporting apparatus construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing supplemental support for facilitating immobilization of an injured arm.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises an elongate suspending member for extending over a shoulder of a user. The suspending member includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion between the first and second end portions. The suspending member also includes connections located on each of the first and second end portions for removably connecting a distal end of the end portion to a location on the end portion toward the intermediate portion to form a loop for receiving a portion of the forearm of the user. The intermediate portion has an aperture therein forming laterally spaced sections of the intermediate portion on lateral sides of the aperture, and the laterally spaced sections are formed of a flexible material such that the sections are adaptable to contours on opposite sides of the shoulder of the user to form a pocket for embracing a portion of the user""s shoulder. Optionally, an arm receiving member is provided for cradling a portion of the user""s arm. The arm receiving member defines a channel for positioning a forearm of the user therein, and is adapted for removably mounting the arm receiving member to the first end portion and the second end portion of the suspending member.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.